Conventionally, a magnetic head moving type magnetic stripe reading/writing device has been known in which reading of magnetic data from a magnetic stripe formed on a magnetic medium and writing of magnetic data to the magnetic stripe are performed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). In a magnetic medium which is to be processed in the magnetic stripe reading/writing device described in Patent Literature 1, a magnetic stripe is formed in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the magnetic medium. The magnetic stripe reading/writing device includes a slide mechanism, which moves the magnetic head in a direction where the magnetic stripe is formed, and conveying rollers for conveying the magnetic medium in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the magnetic head.
Further, conventionally, a card reader has been known which performs reading of magnetic data recorded on a card and writing of magnetic data to a card (for example, see Patent Literature 2). The card reader described in Patent Literature 2 includes a card processing part having a card conveying mechanism and a magnetic head, and a card insertion part which is formed with an insertion port for a card. A card conveying passage where a card is conveyed is formed on a rear side relative to the insertion port. The card insertion part includes a card insertion detection mechanism for detecting whether a card has been inserted into the insertion port or not and a shutter member for opening or closing the card conveying passage. The shutter member is capable of closing the card conveying passage over the entire region of the card conveying passage in a widthwise direction of the card conveying passage. Further, the card insertion part includes a pre-head (magnetic head) for detecting whether magnetic data are recorded on a card or not and a metal sensor for detecting whether an IC chip is built in the card or not.
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, a card insertion detection mechanism, a pre-head and a metal sensor are disposed between the insertion port and the shutter member in a conveying direction of a card. In the card reader, the shutter member has closed the card conveying passage in a standby state before a card is inserted. Further, in the card reader, when it is detected that a normal card has been inserted into the insertion port based on detected results of the card inserting detection mechanism, the pre-head and the metal sensor, the shutter member opens the card conveying passage.
A shape of a card having a magnetic stripe is specified in the international standard and JIS standard and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape whose four corners are rounded. Further, the magnetic stripe is formed in a strip shape which is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the card formed in a substantially rectangular shape. A card with a magnetic stripe in conformity with the international standard or JIS standard is processed in the card reader described in Patent Literature 2 and the card is conveyed in its longitudinal direction.
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, for example, when a card is forcibly inserted into an insertion port at an unexpected speed, even if a normal card is inserted into the insertion port, there may be a case that the shutter member does not open the card conveying passage because the card insertion detection mechanism, the pre-head and the metal sensor do not detect appropriately. In this case, a rear end of the card inserted from the insertion port is abutted with the shutter member and thus, in this state, if a user cannot hold a front end side of the card abutted with the shutter member, it is required that the system on which the card reader is mounted is stopped for performing taking-out processing of the card. In order to prevent such a problem, in the card reader described in Patent Literature 2, a distance between the insertion port and the shutter member in the conveying direction of a card is set so that a front end side of the card whose rear end is abutted with the shutter member is protruded from the insertion port so as to be capable of being held by a user.